Adult new or returning riders up for a chat?

[Hereforthedramaz]

I have recently returned to riding after a very long gap.

I was a very casual rider as an early teen, happy hacking on plodding ponies rather than technical riding. I am thoroughly enjoying having proper lessons now.

I thought it might be nice to chat with other newbies or returners, all non-horsey people in my life and there is only so much they want to talk about it!!!

Also the stables I'm going to is so lovely and welcoming but, in their own words, aimed almost entirely at 8-12 year olds so it would be nice to talk to some adults!

@Hereforthedramaz @mrsrobin thank you both I'm a bit the same - I feel like I probably wasn't taught properly as a child so I may make a giant fool of myself tomorrow

I fell off today. I was riding a different horse to my Cob and whilst trotting with no stirrups over balanced and fell off. What a fright. Think my confidence has taken a huge knock 😭

Oh @Therunecaster bless you! We all know falling is inevitable but it's still a nasty shock when it happens! Maybe getting back on the cob next time will help get your confidence back up?

Thank you. It was a shock for sure. The lovely cob is lame at the moment so I think I'm going to postpone my next lesson till he is better. It was all going so well!

@Therunecaster I hope you're only shaken, not hurt! If lovely cob is out of action for any length of time, why not go back anyway and explain it's knocked your confidence, and stick with stirrups and simple exercises. Would be a shame to let it slide for too long, as if you enjoy it normally you don't want to find you've accidentally given up riding. They should be sympathetic and if they're not, look elsewhere

@bombombo hope you have a great time today, and your DH has wise words. Mine said something similar 💕

I need to get a new hat I think. Mine has been largely unused in a damp tackroom for several years. I can dust off my old boots though. Somewhere, I have a pair of what my friend used to call 'jodhoppers'. If they fail to do up around my menopausal middle I will wear something stretchy ( I see they now do 'pull-up' riding trousers too!)

Happy, horsey day everyone!

@Therunecaster ah sorry to hear that it really does knock your confidence.

I understand your wanting to wait for the cob to be back and ready for lessons, but I know if it was me in the time off it would turn into a bigger deal in my head!

Maybe book in a nice gentle hack to be in the saddle for a while?

Well I survived!

I rode a lovely 14.2hh piebald cob called Pepper. She was very forgiving bless her! I've definitely lost my balance and strength from my youth but hopefully that can be built up in time.

I was surprised that the instructor had me doing all sorts once she'd sort of assessed what I could do - rising trot, changing diagonals, trotting without stirrups and then cantering at the end

@bombombo amazing, well done!!

Did you love it and like the school?

I was amazed at how much the instructor had me doing in the first lesson, a good instructor is clearly good as seeing what you are capable of!

Well done! I cantered on my first lesson back but only down the straight side of the school as I knew I’d slip off going round the corner!

Well done Bom - sounds like you had fun :)

Happy to hear this @bombombo! Sounds great!

I’m glad everyone’s doing so well .. unfortunately I’ve had a big setback - my lovely boy had been doing so well out on hacks but he’d been chipping off quite a bit of the hoof wall on his fronts so we decided to take him into the school to give his feet a rest as some of the tracks have a couple of stony spots. We started off in walk and he was being very responsive and moving well and we were working on accuracy in shapes and halt transitions. Then I asked him to pick up trot and he suddenly started charging round the arena - I managed to get him back after a couple of laps and tried again once I thought we’d both calmed down. This time however it was even worse - he took off at breakneck speed - it’s a big arena so he could really get going - and wasn’t listening to me at all - was running through the bridle. Eventually I lost my balance and fell off - unfortunately into the arena wall, not the floor.

To cut a long story short I’m now in hospital with fractured vertebrae and ribs - all stable so I don’t need surgery but it’s going to be months before I’m recovered enough to ride again. Sadly, although it looked like my boy was completely sound again, we think his reaction was probably a pain response so he’s going for another lameness work up but I suspect we will need to retire him permanently so no fairytale ending for us 😢

oh @Pleasedontdothat you poor thing. Glad to hear you are ok but that must all be so upsetting (as well as bloody painful!).

Do you think there is a chance he could just be a gentle hacker?

I've been meaning to catch up with this for days and been loving reading about all your exciting progress everyone.

But just read your post @Pleasedontdothat and I'm so sorry, really hope you're on the mend very very soon. Sounds such an ordeal for you. Don't worry about big decisions about your horse just now, plenty time to figure that out. Rest up and take care. Xx

I've also taken the decision to stop riding my boy. I know I mentioned before I was planning to lose some weight and get back on him for little wanders, and had popped on him a couple of times just to walk in from the field recently, but after the second time of just a few metres walk I sat on him a few minutes watching him and I could see his discomfort and how having a rider on increased the pain in his knees. So have decided that's properly it. (Well, that's it again, he really was officially retired 2 years ago!) Even if I lost a good bit of weight I think it's too much. He copes very well with having the small kids on, and he loves walking with me at the end of the rope, and that, for us, is it now.

I've actually been walking him on his lead rope on and off since he was first being treated for bone spavin and unable to work in 2011. At the time I knew I'd be happy to just walk with him if need be (in fact it's a lovely way to see the world with him being right at his head level) and we were lucky to get many more riding years since but happy to return to in hand now.

Though I might pop back on occasion to the riding stable where I had a trek recently with my daughter and have the odd hack on the lovely Welsh girl I rode, as all your posts really inspire me to be on board!

@LikeAnOldFriend Really sorry to hear that too.

I expect you'll know a lot more than me but have you considered doing some in-hand schooling and dressage with him. Looks like fun plus must be good exercise for both of you!

Thank you so much! Do you know, I hadn't really thought much about that. We've never done any dressage or anything and always been more happy hackers but I didn't really think of that and I bet there would be something we could do that would keep us both busy together without taxing him. Im busy googling in hand schooling for older horses and arthritis now so you've given me a wee project that's keeping me happy!! :)

Yey, I'm so pleased to have helped!

Purely from online browsing I've always thought the in-hand schooling looks really fun and must be a lovely way to bond!

I look forward to hearing how it goes!

So sorry to hear about your accident @Pleasedontdothat - I hope you recover quickly and well 💐

Has anyone seen this ? If you're in the south east it's really worth a look. I have had a couple of lessons on hoggy and he and his 'mum' Nicola really helped my riding.
Tempted to go back for another lesson on him as it was about 5 years ago.

Sorry, here's Hoggy's link

Back from a good group lesson.

I was on the bigger horse again today who I find so much more responsive and enjoyable. And with a different instructor today who I really liked, plus a group more similar to my level of riding which helps!

@Solosunrise ooh that's an interesting idea!

Would you say it's aimed at pros or at least very experienced riders? I.e do she routinely help beginners?

I don't know what the instructors are like with beginners @Hereforthedramaz but the idea of getting to grips with where arms and legs are meant to go, without the stress of steering a live beast, would work well with Hoggy i think. You definitely don't have to be a very experienced rider to benefit, as far as i can tell.
You actually look through the 'horse's' ears at a video screen like on a video game, and the saddle and bit have sensors to you can tell if you're sitting level etc. I think you could probably get the idea of rising trot and the feel of canter quite effectively.

@Pleasedontdothat I am sorry to hear what happened - I hope you aren't put off completely. I don't know what sort of age you are but if I fell off I think I would break :( I might be older tho!
@Hereforthedramaz Your lesson sounds ideal - a group lesson is what I would like but after scouting around for a beginners holiday without going to Scotland, I seem to have left it too late in the year. I have searched around stables in my area and have found one that might me okay. I don't really know how to "check it out" to see what I think but I might send an initial email and see what the tone is like.
Enjoy your ride anyone who is going out today!